Bacher Picks the Brain of History’s Greatest Distance Runner on DStv

With over 25 world records, multiple marathon major victories, two-time Olympic gold and four-time world championships gold in the 10 000m, Gebrselassie is considered history’s greatest distance runner.

In his inimitable style, Bacher takes Gebrselassie down memory lane of his stellar track and road career which includes the 2008 marathon world record, which still stands today as the Masters age-group world record.

Gebrselassie, in a 2010 interview, predicted that one day someone will run a marathon under two hours in our lifetime.

Back then, the world was 240 seconds away from the magical mark of 1:59:59 thanks to his world record mark of 2:03:59 he’d set two years back en route to the third of his four consecutive Berlin Marathon victories. Many doubted him.

Fast forward to today, and after Eliud Kipchoge’s exploits in Berlin three weeks ago, the world is now just 100 seconds away from a sub-two-hour marathon and doubters are starting to believe in the possibility – in this lifetime.

In Conversation with Haile Gebrselassie premieres on SuperSport 8 on Wednesday 10 October from 20:15.